Accident
The young man cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "This student is Xu Yanqing."
Lin Xu pondered for a moment; the name was indeed quite unfamiliar.
Perhaps she's been too suspicious lately, because just now, for a fleeting moment, she suddenly felt that the scholar seemed somewhat familiar.
Those were a few extremely vague memories of her past life that she had in her mind.
At that time, my father had not been appointed as the chief examiner for the imperial examinations for many years. He was already often in his study, so he became even busier. My father was honest and upright throughout his life and was particularly cautious and meticulous in his actions. Since he was chosen to be the chief examiner, he inevitably had some impression of the most popular scholars who came to Mujing to take the imperial examinations.
She remembered that her father had once had a small gathering with Minister Wen, and after drinking some wine, he murmured to himself upon returning home:
"...Zhang Sheng's writing is rich and elegant, and he is expected to enter officialdom; Cai Sheng's writing is sharp and has a classical charm; but this lad... is aloof and stubborn, no wonder others say he is pedantic, and he is also very picky about words..."
At that moment, Lin Xu stood under the eaves, watching his father, who was rarely drunk, being helped up by the steward. These words quickly vanished like raindrops.
Although she couldn't remember the name of the scholar her father had mentioned, she vaguely recalled that his surname was Zhang, which was obviously different from the name of the Xu Yanqing in front of her.
Perhaps she was just being overly suspicious for a moment.
Lin Xu nodded slightly and then instructed the steward of the courtyard to select some clean clothes and the steamed buns that had been made, pack them up, and send them to him.
Now this person lives not far from her small courtyard, only half an alley away. The imperial examination is just around the corner, and ordinary candidates are already overwhelmed with anxiety. Only this person can still think about the steamed buns she used to eat.
That night, she worried about the Yang family and couldn't sleep a wink. When she awoke, the sky outside was clear and sunny—a rare, bright and beautiful day.
After holding Mianxue for only a short while, Rongwei lifted the curtain and walked in with a smile, "Madam, guess who has come to see you?"
Lin Xu was startled. Before he could turn around, he saw two people approaching from the doorway.
The man was tall and imposing, his face weathered yet radiating a newfound resolve, even bearing a scar on his chin. Beside him, the woman was petite and graceful, dressed in a light blue cotton dress, a bright red beaded flower adorning her temple.
"Zhiyuan, Zhao Qi, why did you two come together!"
Lin Xu was pleasantly surprised; she hadn't seen the two of them in a long time. However, before she could voice her question, the two exchanged a smile, their eyes filled with shyness. It seemed no words were needed.
Lin Xu and Rong Wei were both pleasantly surprised. Zhi Yuan and Zhao Qi bowed respectfully, and Lin Xu sat down at the round table, smiling, "When did this happen? You kept it from me too."
Zhao Qi, with his rugged appearance, blushed bright red, while Zhi Yuan smiled and chuckled softly:
"Alright, let me tell you. Brother Zhao and I met while working for Madam. We were just friends at first, but Brother Zhao often came to help me when he saw that I was taking care of the flower shop by myself. He even did a lot of hard work for me... In fact, this happy occasion is all thanks to Madam!"
Lin Xu was very happy. Zhao Qi was kind and kind, and Zhi Yuan was intelligent and capable; both were people she could trust. Seeing the two of them together naturally filled her with emotion.
"...Zhiyuan left from my side before, so since there is such a happy event, we should celebrate it properly!"
She immediately instructed Rongwei to retrieve a pair of high-quality jade ruyi, several pairs of precious earrings inlaid with red and purple gemstones, and a few slightly yellowed old papers from the storeroom that had just been tidied up after the move.
“I have only recently left the Dou family, and my circumstances are not what they used to be. But since this is such a joyous occasion for you, I should naturally do my part. Other small gifts are fine, but these house deeds are part of the Lin family’s ancestral property. Although the location is on the outskirts of Mujing and Laining, it is a bit remote, but there are four houses in total. I think that should be enough for you to settle down properly and start a new life.”
Zhiyuan and Zhao Qi exchanged a glance, naturally not expecting Lin Xu to offer such a generous gift. They immediately knelt down to refuse, but Rongwei stepped forward and helped them up.
Lin Xu laughed and said, "You two have suffered some grievances following me in the past. These houses are just a token of my gratitude. They can't compare to your loyalty to me over the years. If you don't take these house deeds quickly, I'll have to take them away."
After several refusals, Zhiyuan finally accepted the things with red eyes.
Since completing his training, Zhao Qi has been transferred to the Palace Guard as a military commander due to his outstanding performance. Now, among the many generals from aristocratic families, he is considered one of the best, with a promising future ahead. Zhi Yuan has also managed her flower and herb shop very well, and the business is booming. Originally just one of Lin Xu's many shops, it now accounts for the majority of the income and has made a name for itself among the powerful and wealthy families in Mu Jing. Nowadays, high-ranking families often choose to buy flowers and herbs from Yuan Cao Ju, and over time, they have accumulated a large number of regular customers and connections.
With such a business mind, she had long planned to hand over the several farms outside Mujing that her father had left her to Zhiyuan to manage after the two of them got married.
The group sat down and chatted for a while. Lin Xu was in a rare good mood, so he made a few more jokes about Zhi Yuan. Zhi Yuan blushed and looked adorable.
As the two were about to leave, Zhiyuan suddenly remembered another important matter she had come for, and lowered her voice slightly to say:
“Madam, you once instructed me to keep a close eye on the movements at Bihua Tower. Although you didn’t explicitly tell me to do so, I haven’t dared to relax my vigilance. It was only recently that I heard that Yao Niang at Bihua Tower has been searching for Miss Fu Qing…”
Upon hearing Fu Qing's name, Zhao Qi, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but slightly change his expression.
He and Fu Qing were from the same hometown. At that time, the impoverished young man fell in love at first sight with the beautiful girl, and even spent a fortune to save Fu Qing from Bihua Tower. However, this brief affection was only Zhao Qi's unrequited love. After being repeatedly rejected by Fu Qing, he lost interest and that's why he later developed feelings for Zhi Yuan.
Although Fu Qing had betrayed herself to Dou Yanxun in the past, it had been a long time, and she had long since let go of those past events.
However, Fu Qing has been living alone in Yuehuan Lane since leaving Bihua Tower, so why has he suddenly disappeared without a trace?
Seeing Lin Xu's puzzled expression, Zhi Yuan said, "It's strange, I've been secretly inquiring for a long time, and all I can say is that this Qingqing girl disappeared very quickly, and the place where she used to live has been deserted for a long time. Nobody knows where she went. If it weren't for Yao Niang's secret search, I would have thought that Qingqing girl might have returned to her hometown."
Fu Qing... Dou Yanxun...
Whenever Fu Qing's name is mentioned, it's hard not to think of her deep affection for Dou Yanxun. Fu Qing says it's because Dou Yanxun once saved her life, and that's why she can't forget his kindness. In the past, she was too busy dealing with the Dou family to seriously investigate how Fu Qing and Dou Yanxun actually met.
Moreover, there was another courtesan, Sun Biying, who had previously had some interaction with Dou Yanxun… She too had vanished without a trace, as if she had evaporated from the face of the earth. The two situations were remarkably similar; could it be that this time, it also had something to do with Dou Yanxun?
Seeing the deep contemplation on her face, Zhiyuan, being so intelligent, knew perfectly well that Lin Xu had completely broken ties with the Dou family and had even divorced Dou Yanxun.
"Madam, rest assured, I will investigate this matter further in private. However, based on my investigation over the past few days, the person who used to be closely associated with Yao Niang seems to be Dou Yanzhou, not the Second Master. Dou Yanzhou used to have a very good reputation, so it's likely that he would use the Second Master's name as a pretext before his secret meetings with Yao Niang, which is why the Second Master was misunderstood by others. In fact, before Dou Yanzhou was demoted to Wuzhou, he lingered alone in front of Bihua Tower for a long time, but was driven away by Yao Niang's guards..."
Lin Xu naturally understood this matter as well. Dou Yanzhou was dignified and upright, exactly like his father Dou Huaisheng in character. In the past, Dou Yanxun had also acted as if he and Dou Yanzhou were brothers, and he seemed to care nothing about reputation or rumors.
Since the two brothers developed a rift, Dou Yanzhou could no longer have Dou Yanxun "replace" him, so he became even more depressed and despondent. It is said that even before Dou Yanzhou was sent to Wuzhou, he was severely scolded by Dou Huaisheng, which also caused unrest in his household.
However, she no longer wanted to think about these people and things, nor did she want to disturb her peace.
After seeing off Zhiyuan and Zhao Qi, Lin Xu held Mianxue in his arms and quickly coaxed her to sleep.
Just as Luo Shilan said, in just over a month, Mianxue has gradually blossomed and is becoming more and more beautiful. Even with her eyes closed and still asleep, her outstanding features are still evident.
She resembles her in some ways, and in some ways, she resembles the mother I remember.
The courtyard was quiet and peaceful in the afternoon, and she soon closed her eyes to take a nap. However, after only a moment, a series of hurried footsteps came from the front yard. Lin Xu was startled and saw Zhu Ling lifting the curtain, not even bothering to bow.
Zhu Ling had clearly been hurrying back, her face still covered in sweat and filled with barely suppressed panic.
"...Last night, as you instructed, I took the portrait to the Gao family to see Madam Gao. Madam Gao was very hospitable, but unfortunately, Granny Tang had gone back to her hometown to visit relatives a few days ago because of the birth of her grandchildren. She was supposed to return early this morning, so Madam Gao told me to rest and wait at the mansion. But unexpectedly, before dawn this morning, news came that Granny Tang's carriage was hit by a falling rock on the mountain road on its way back from town! Madam Gao immediately sent people to check on her. Granny Tang... was hit by a large rock and was mangled beyond recognition. She died on the spot..."
Zhu Ling took a breath and continued, "According to the spies sent by Madam Gao, Granny Tang is always cautious. I don't know why she didn't take the official road this time. Perhaps she was in a hurry and took a very steep, long-neglected old road instead, which is why the accident happened..."
Lin Xu clenched her fists so tightly that her meticulously manicured nails almost dug into her palms, and a sharp pain shot through her heart.
How could it be such a coincidence?
If this matter was not caused by human intervention, then it would be a rather far-fetched explanation.
“She couldn’t wait any longer… I was just about to go look for her when this tragedy happened… This is clearly a show for me.” Lin Xu lowered his eyes, his voice was low, but his expression was as cold as frost.
But in an instant, she felt a cold sweat break out all over her body and began to tremble uncontrollably. Soon her hands and feet turned ice-cold, and she felt as if she had fallen into a bottomless ice cellar because of the terrifying thoughts in her mind.
"...Her inability to endure it proves that Granny Tang knows the truth of the past! Since she was the Crown Prince's former wet nurse, then the Empress's murder of her mother...is very likely because of... the Crown Prince!"
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